Did you know that prolonged breastfeeding a child can lead to a vitamin D deficiency? It just doesn’t seem right but it can. And a vitamin D deficiency in children can lead to a very serious disease called rickets.
Calcium and vitamin D
While most moms and dads understand that children need calcium for healthy bone growth, many do not understand the part that vitamin D plays in promoting the absorption of calcium in the stomach.
Even if you give a child the recommended calcium, if he or she does not also get an adequate amount of vitamin D, you might just as well be flushing the calcium down a toilet. Vitamin D is not only essential for promoting the absorption of calcium; it is also needed to maintain adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations, which enable a normal mineralization of bone.
Rickets in children
A vitamin D deficiency in children can lead to rickets which is the name for a softening of the child’s bones that can lead to bone fractures and deformities.
Rickets is rarely seen these days in U.S. children but is often found in dark-skinned kids who have been breast-fed for a prolonged period of time.
The symptoms of rickets
A child suffering from rickets will most likely experience bone pain or tenderness, along with dental problems and muscle weakness. In fact, this weakness is often seen as “floppy baby syndrome,” where the baby is floppy or “slinky” like.
A baby or child with rickets will show more of a tendency to develop fractures and skeletal deformities. For example, a toddler with rickets may have bowed legs; older children can be knock-kneed; and children of all ages may show cranial, pelvic or spinal deformities.
Kids at risk for developing rickets
In addition to children who have been breastfed for a prolonged period of time, there are other types of kids at risk for developing rickets. This includes children whose parents have covered them with excessive amounts of sunscreen and kids in daycare programs. Rickets also seems to be prevalent among the children of immigrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
What to do about a vitamin D deficiency in children
An interesting fact about vitamin D is that our bodies and our kids’ bodies will produce it naturally; all it takes is 10-15 minutes of sun on the child’s face and arms several times a week - unless you have a darker skinned child. In this case, the child will need additional sun exposure.
Because some children do not get a sufficient amount of vitamin D from sunlight, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a daily intake of 400 I.U. for infants and children. Just be sure to read the labels of the foods or formula you buy to make sure they have a sufficient amount of vitamin D. A good source of vitamin D for your child is milk, since most brands of milk are fortified with vitamin D. The third alternative is a vitamin D supplement, which should be Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) since it is more readily absorbed than vitamin D2.
As you have read, a vitamin D deficiency in children can lead to significant problems. And, believe it or not, this deficiency can also have a negative effect on men…
Next >> Vitamin D Deficiency In Men